Existing computer systems consume large amounts of electrical power when operating in the fully operational mode. These systems typically lack power consumption controllers and thus when left idle, the systems continue to remain in the fully operational mode. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established guidelines encouraging the manufacture of computer systems which when left idle for an extended period only consume a specified amount of electrical power or less.
One prior power consumption controller was used in portable computer systems. The prior controller would turn off the monitor, spin down the hard disk and shut down the central processing unit (CPU). Because the prior controller shut down the CPU, the portable system could not be responsive to signals coming from a communications device, for instance, a network, fax machine or modem. However, most portable systems were not connected to a communications device anyway and thus did not need to be responsive to signals from the communications device. Desktop computer systems on the other hand, usually are connected to a communications device and need to be responsive to signals from the communications device. Use of the prior controller in a desktop system connected to a communications device causes the desktop system to fail to respond to signals from the communications device after a specified idle period when the CPU is shut down. With the network as a communications device, the network deactivates the system address, in effect, removing the system from the network after the failure to respond. Other systems in the network becomes unable to communicate with the desktop system and the desktop system becomes unable to receive any information from the network.
Similarly, with a fax machine or modem as the communications device connected to the desktop system, the prior controller in the desktop system causes the desktop system to fail to respond to communications signals. In this case, the fax machine or modem ceases transmission of data and the desktop system fails to receive the data.
It would be highly beneficial to have a desktop computer system with a power consumption controller that switches the system between a fully operational mode and a responsive low power mode, where the responsive low power mode still allows the system to be responsive to communications device signals. The system could then satisfy EPA guidelines by switching to the responsive low power mode after a specified idle period, and respond to communications signals or process information from the communications device.
Thus, what is needed is a power consumption controller that switches a computer system between a fully operational mode and a responsive low power mode.